Fall Out of Darkness
by Lillica
Summary: It started out with a prophetic nightmare, now Sakura is in the hospital in critical condition. Will she be able to put her life back together? This S+S fanfic takes place around the beginning-middle of the third series. *Updated with Chapter Four*
1. Prologue

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Disclaimer: The only thing I do own is the idea for this story, which is not intended for profit.

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Notes: Konnichiwa! ^.^ This Prologue is rather short, but I promise the other parts will be much longer. I usually don't split my fics into chapters, but decided to for this one for now. Though it may seem like it, I did not make up a new Clow Card or "bad guy" for this story. Fall Out of Darkness (I may change the title) takes place around the beginning-middle of the third series when Eriol arrived. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, but it is hard since I have never actually watched the original anime, so please forgive any mistakes. It wasn't originally going to be S+S, but how could I resist? I will hopefully finish and put up the other parts soon, but I am busy with schoolwork, etc.

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Fall Out of Darkness - Prologue

"…Wh-where am I?"

Sakura looked around, her auburn hair flying in the wind. The place seemed familiar, but she wasn't quite sure why. Cherry blossoms fell around her like rain, making it hard to see anything. Something felt wrong; Sakura shivered, a bad feeling creeping over her.

She heard familiar voices, in the distance she could make out the figures of her father and brother. She smiled and ran towards them, calling their names. Sakura felt a sudden sharp pain in her forehead, which unabled her to move. She watched in fear as everything turned cold and black; Touya and Fujitaka disappeared. 

Sakura took out The Light card, but before she could use it, it too disappeared. She reached in her bag, but all her other cards were also gone.

"Sakura!"

"Hoe?" She spun around to see Kero, Tomoyo, and Yukito trying to reach her. Sakura frantically tried to move towards them but it was no use, they were swallowed by the strange darkness.

"Kinomoto… stay away fr-" She caught a glimpse of Syaoran trying to tell her something, but he was cut off as he vanished, leaving Sakura alone and frightened.

"What do I do?! Li-kun, come back!" She began to cry as the blackness surrounded her, ready to take her life away…

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"Sakura, wake up!"

Sakura's eyes snapped open with a look of panic. Kero hovered above her looking a bit concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Kero-chan!" Sakura hugged him tightly, still shaken from her dream. "You haven't vanished!" she cried happily. 

"Of course I haven't," he said struggling to breathe. "I heard you tossing and moaning, and I-" Kero stopped in alarm, seeing her face, "Sakura, you're crying!"

She brought a hand to her eyes and was startled to find tears falling down her face. "I-I had a bad dream…"

"What happened?"

Sakura calmed down a bit and wiped her eyes. "It was strange… I had a really weird feeling at the beginning, in a place I know I've been before. You, Tomoyo-chan, Oto-san, Onii-chan, Yukito-san, and Li-kun were covered by this scary black light, and you all disappeared. You woke me up just before it was about to get me…"

Kero studied her, "Was this another prophetic dream to do with the Clow Cards?"

She thought for a moment with a worried expression. "…It was different from the others, Kero. It was like I was being warned of something terrible that was going to happen, but I didn't feel any magical presence."

When Kero didn't speak, Sakura broke the silence, forcing a fake smile to try and reassure him. "…I'm sure it was just a silly nightmare, that's all."

Kero knew her better than that, but didn't object. "Just be careful, and keep an eye out in case, Sakura."

"I will, don't worry about it Kero, I'll be fine." She glanced at her clock and sprung out of bed, pushing her dream aside. "Hoe! I'm going to be late again!"

Kero frowned slightly as Sakura hurriedly got dressed and did her hair. She called a goodbye over her shoulder and rushed out of her room. He listened to her run down the stairs feeling uneasy. "I hope you're right Sakura…"

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Preview for Chapter One:

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"Am I dreaming again?" She wondered softly out loud.

"I guess you could say that…"

Sakura searched for the source of the familiar, gentle voice. A beautiful woman with long flowing hair appeared surrounded by a warm light. "…Okaa-san?"

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	2. Chapter One

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Disclaimer: The only thing I do own is the idea for this story, which is not intended for profit.

****

Notes: Konnichiwa! ^.^ I usually don't split my fics into chapters, but decided to for this one for now. Though it may seem like it, I did not make up a new Clow Card or "bad guy" for this story. Fall Out of Darkness takes place around the beginning-middle of the third series when Eriol arrived. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, but it is hard since I have never actually watched the original anime, so please forgive any mistakes. It wasn't originally going to be S+S, but how could I resist? I will hopefully finish and put up the other parts soon, but I am busy with schoolwork, etc.

Yes, I know the prologue was rather short, I hope this is a fairly decent size. I am not sure how many chapters there will be, but I'm guessing at least three or four. I'd like to thank Neohowler and Rinoa Heartilly for giving it a review. Please, if you like or dislike this chapter, I would appreciate it a lot if you write a review. Arigatou!

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Fall Out of Darkness – **Chapter One**

Gaining speed, Sakura flew around the corner. She came to a stop and sighed in disappointment, Yukito wasn't there. A drop of rain splashed on her nose, she looked up at the sky. Large dark clouds had moved in, threatening to pour. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself as her dream flashed back to her. Instantly wanting to be away from there and inside her classroom with her friends, she began to skate as fast as she could toward her school.

"Good morning Sakura-chan."

"Good morning Tomoyo-chan!"

From behind Syaoran watched her intensely with a serious expression. Sakura turned around and smiled, "Good morning Li-kun." He blushed and mumbled a reply, temporarily forgetting the strange feeling that had been bothering him since he had woken up this morning. Clueless, Sakura only smiled brightly as Tomoyo and Eriol exchanged an amused, knowing glance.

"Konnichiwa minna, please take your seats so we can begin." Everyone settled down as Terada-sensei entered the classroom. Sakura thought she saw he and Rika look at each other for a moment with faint blushes, but decided she was simply imagining things.

He began to teach their lesson, Sakura listened with interest when suddenly she watched in awe as a single Nadeshiko pedal appeared from no where and fluttered onto her desk. It shimmered beautifully; no one else seemed to notice it. After a moment of hesitation, she reached over and touched it. Sakura felt a strange sensation; she slowly began to drift away towards the voice of someone asking her to follow them.

"Sakura!" Syaoran's startled cry directed everyone's attention to Sakura whose eyes closed as she fell out of her desk and slid to the floor without a sound.

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"Sakura-san…"

Sakura blinked, she stood wondering what had happened to her classroom. Everything was hazy and made her shiver, but this time she did not feel afraid. "Am I dreaming again?" She wondered softly out loud.

"I guess you could say that…"

Sakura searched for the source of the familiar, gentle voice. A beautiful woman with long flowing hair appeared surrounded by a warm light. "…Okaa-san?"

She smiled, "Yes Sakura-san, it is me." Nadeshiko took her daughter's hands in hers. "I have been watching over you since you were three, but I haven't been able to communicate with you until now."

Sakura's eyes shone with happiness, speechless at first at seeing her mother in front of her. "I'm so happy to see you Okaa-san! I do not remember very well since I was so young, but Otou-san has told us so much about you. I knew you were beautiful from all your pictures, but I had never imagined just how beautiful. I can't believe you're here, there are so many things I wish to tell you."

Nadeshiko laughed at Sakura's cute excited and bubbly gushing continued. She wished to talk longer but she knew she must hurry and do what she had come to do. "I'm afraid I don't have much time, I've come to warn you Sakura-san."

"Warn…? Warn me of what?"

Her smile faded. "I can not prevent it from happening, however I can help to slightly change your fate."

"I'm sorry Okaa-san, I do not understand."

"All I can tell you is to always remember that you are strong and have many people that love you. It's going to be hard, but I feel that everything will be alright." She hugged Sakura, "Please take care."

Still confused, Sakura hugged her mother back, wishing she could stay longer. "Will I be able to see you again?"

Nadeshiko smiled lovingly and lifted Sakura's chin. "I don't think I will be able to return like this, but I will always be by yours, Touya-san's, and your father's side. I must leave now, don't forget what I've told you. She began to disappear, "Goodbye Sakura-san, I love you…"

"Goodbye…" Sakura whispered, but she was now holding onto nothing but air.

***************************************************

Oh, Sakura-chan! Are you all right??"

She could hear low murmurs as many concerned faces appeared above her. Tomoyo hugged her worriedly, feeling very relieved she was okay. Sakura tried to sit up as she realized where she was. "Tomoyo-chan? What's going on?"

"You gave everyone quite a scare. Suddenly you just fell from your seat as if you had fainted. Li-kun caught you in time, but you weren't responding and we got really worried. Are you not feeling well?"

Sakura looked at her teacher and other classmates who were most likely waiting for her to tell them what had happened. She didn't want to tell them the truth, they would probably just think she was making it up or had only been dreaming or imagining things. "No… I don't think I'm sick, I guess I must have been very tired." Sakura wasn't a very good liar, Tomoyo knew there was something else by her voice and the far away look in her eyes.

Terada-sensei examined her closely. "Are you sure Kinomoto-san? Maybe Daidouji-san should take you to the nurses office."

She started to decline, but nearly fell over again feeling dizzy. Sakura allowed Tomoyo to help her up and support her as they began to walk out of the classroom. As they passed Syaoran, she gave him a weak smile to try and assure him she was fine. Sakura was surprised when she saw him smile back; maybe she really did need to lie down.

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"How are you feeling Sakura-chan?"

Just having woken from a short nap, Sakura looked like her usual energetic and happy self. "I'm feeling fine Tomoyo-chan, rest was just what I needed!"

Tomoyo smiled, happy that Sakura was no longer tired or dizzy. "That's great, I'm sure everyone will be relieved. Sakura smiled back brightly at her friend. "If you don't mind me asking, what really happened at school?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth earlier, but there were too many people around. It wasn't because I was tired, during class a flower petal suddenly appeared. No one else could see it, so I touched it and was brought into a dreamlike state, which is why I fainted. It was so wonderful Tomoyo-chan! I got to meet my mother. She is so kind and beautiful, I wish we could have spent more time together but she had to leave. She said she came to give me a warning…"

Kero who had been half-listening from the other side of the bed quickly turned his attention toward them. "A warning? What kind of warning Sakura?"

Sakura paused in thought, "I can't remember exactly… something about helping change my fate and to remember that I am strong."

He frowned, "First the dream and then a warning from your mother? This doesn't sound too good…"

Tomoyo noticed the scared look on Sakura's face and quickly tried to comfort her. "It's alright, if anything does happen, you know that your mother will protect you, as will all of us."

Her expression eased, but Kero's did not. Tomoyo stood up smiling; "Looks like you have a visitor."

"A visitor?" Sakura joined Tomoyo's at the window where Syaoran stood outside, seeming to be deciding whether he should knock on the door or run away. "Li-kun!" She waved happily at him; "We'll be right out!"

Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh as Syaoran's face reddened. She had seen him follow them here while she helped Sakura home. He had been hiding behind trees trying not to be seen for about forty-five minutes as he tried to get himself to approach her front door. She followed Sakura downstairs and outside to where he was waiting, still looking a little embarrassed.

"Konnichiwa Li-kun, how long have you been here?"

He flushed again mumbling, "Only a few minutes…"

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Tomoyo continued, already knowing why he was here.

"Well… I… came to see if Kinomoto-chan was alright."

"You were worried about me?"

Before Syaoran could respond, Tomoyo jumped in. "I have to leave now, I'll see you both tomorrow." Her limo had drove down the road with perfect timing; she waved and got inside. She wished she could tape them together, but she didn't want to ruin a perfect opportunity. Waving again and smiling a tad devilishly, Tomoyo watched them out the back window for as long as she could as the limo drove away.

They watched her in silence for a moment. Syaoran looked at her; "It's good that you're okay now… Is there something bothering you?" She opened her mouth to tell him about her dream and the warning from her mother, but stopped when she noticed Touya glaring at them from his bedroom window. "This isn't exactly the best place to talk… do you want to go to park?"

He nodded, taking Sakura's hand and pulling her quickly behind him. Syaoran tried to hide a blush when he became aware of how warm her hand was in his. Touya looked ready to jump through the window to kill him. Syaoran sweatdropped, quickening his pace eager to get away from his murderous expression, and to go somewhere where they could be alone to talk. 

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Preview of Chapter Two:

"Sakura, wait!" Syaoran felt a knot of dread in his stomach as he ran after her. He had tried to ignore it earlier, but now it had come back stronger than ever. He began to run faster afraid to let her out of his sight; he needed to protect her. Syaoran could sense something terrible was going to happen very soon, Sakura was in danger.

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	3. Chapter Two

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Disclaimer: The only thing I do own is the idea for this story, which is not intended for profit.

****

Notes: Konnichiwa! ^.^ I usually don't split my fics into chapters, but decided to for this one for now. Though it may seem like it, I did not make up a new Clow Card or "bad guy" for this story. Fall Out of Darkness takes place around the beginning-middle of the third series when Eriol arrived. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, but it is hard since I have never actually watched the original anime, so please forgive any mistakes. It wasn't originally going to be S+S, but how could I resist? I will hopefully finish and put up the other parts soon, but I am busy with schoolwork, etc.

This chapter was becoming too long, so I decided to split it and put the other half as Chapter Three, which should be done very soon. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! ^_^

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Fall Out of Darkness - Chapter Two

Sakura quietly sat down on a swing; Syaoran followed and did the same. She pushed herself a bit, then stopped and sighed. He watched her closely, waiting for her to explain what was bothering her. "… Last night I had another dream."

"About the Clow Cards?"

"No… at least I don't think so. It was scary; everything was normal and fine when suddenly this big darkness made everyone disappear forever. It felt so real…"

"What do you mean?"

"It was like I was being shown something bad that is going to happen soon, just like my mother told me."

Syaoran looked at her confused, "Your mother?" 

"Yes…" Sakura paused and looked up at him, knowing he would believe her. "Today during class Okaa-san visited me and gave me a warning."

His expression darkened slightly, "What did she warn you of?"

"I didn't fully understand her but it was something about her helping my fate… Oh Li-kun, what if my dream comes true and something horrible does happen?"

Syaoran paused, then put a comforting arm around her. His amber eyes glistened with determination; "I will protect you no matter what happens."

She wiped away the tears that had been threatening to fall and smiled at him. "You know earlier when I fainted, well I heard you call me by my first name."

Syaoran blushed furiously and looked away from her face. "Well I…"

"I don't mind at all, in fact it made me realise how close we've become. I was wondering if I could call you Syaoran."

He met her eyes, the redness of his face fading. "Yes you may… Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled again no longer feeling afraid and gently rested her head on his shoulder. "Arigatou Syaoran-kun… for everything."

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"I thought you were going to let them be alone together."

"Well I was… but oh Kero-chan, aren't they so kawaii together. How could I resist getting this moment on tape?"

Kero sweatdropped as Tomoyo continued to fawn over them, not understanding why she liked to watch all that mush. Personally he wasn't very fond of the brat, and he especially didn't like picturing the two of them as a possible couple. Though he would never admit it out loud however, he knew that they did share a special bond and he had to give credit to Syaoran for helping and saving her. Despite that he still didn't trust him, and always came with Tomoyo to make sure Sakura was safe.

"What was that?" Syaoran narrowed his eyes and looked towards the direction of where Tomoyo and Kero were spying behind a near bush. Both ducked down quickly, trying not to make a sound.

Sakura moved her head from his shoulder, "What was what?"

He examined the area for another minute, "I could have sworn I heard familiar voices, but I guess it was just the wind." Syaoran had a feeling it had been something else, but turned away and ignored it.

They both sighed in relief. Tomoyo quickly got back up and zoomed in with her video camera. "So sweet!" She exclaimed forgetting to lower her voice. Kero laughed and shook his head.

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Eriol smiled as he watched Sakura and Syaoran. His cute relative continued to hold and comfort her as the two sat in companionable silence, watching the sunset. Eriol wished everything wasn't going to be turned upside down tonight, she was just beginning to realise her feelings for Syaoran. With an inaudible sigh, he closed his eyes, his aura brightening as he used his magic.

"Are you alright Eriol?"

He was slightly startled for a moment. Spinel Sun stood behind him, he had appeared without Eriol noticing. "What do you mean?"

Spinel looked at him somewhat worried. "Lately you've seemed distracted and troubled."

"It's nothing," Eriol lied, "I've just been thinking."

"Oh…" Spinel began to turn away, respecting Eriol's privacy and his unspoken wish to be alone. He stopped for a moment; "Nakuru and I are always here if you wish to talk about anything." With that he walked away as Eriol watched him leave.

He turned to back to Sakura and Syaoran, saddening at the sight of Tomoyo hiding in bushes close to them. She looked so pretty and lovely, her hair blowing in the wind. It was going to be hard for everyone, but he knew this was going to effect Tomoyo very deeply, perhaps the most. Eriol watched her, his heart aching. "I'm sorry Daidouji-san," he whispered softly, "I wish this didn't have to happen…"

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Touya pedalled hard, his eyes fierce and determined. "Hurry Yuki, they've been out of my sight for too long!"

Yukito tried hard to keep up, but lately he had been feeling very worn out. "I'm sorry To-ya, I'm trying, but I'm so tired."

Touya slowed down and looked at his friend feeling concern wash over him like it usually did when he saw him like this. Yukito was a bit pale, dark circles beginning to form under his eyes. He brought his bike to a stop, "Are you feeling okay?"

Yukito forced a smile, "Yes, I'll be fine, just go ahead without me, I'm right behind you."

Touya shook his head, "I'm not going to leave you like this, what if you pass out again and no one is around?"

"What about Sakura?"

He frowned, "I guess I won't follow her this time, but if that kid does anything to her, I swear I'll kill him."

"Come on To-ya, we can just go at a slower pace if you're worried about me fainting." He grinned teasingly; "I know how much your little-sister-complex will bother you if we don't go."

"Shut up," Touya growled, but he couldn't help but smile. "Alright, but if you need to stop, please tell me Yuki."

Yukito smiled back warmly, "I will."

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"It's starting to get dark, I should probably get home before Oto-san and Onii-chan start to worry about me."

Syaoran stood up understandingly; secretly wishing she didn't have to leave his arms. "I'll walk you home."

"Okay, I – " Sakura stopped in mid-sentence as a familiar spark flew through her mind and body. Syaoran stopped and tensed as well, their eyes meeting. "Clow-san's presence," she murmured, reading his thoughts. 

He nodded, "I can feel that it is somewhere close."

Sakura stood up beside him, "Right, let's go." She pulled out her Clow Key and took off running towards the direction of the strong power.

"Sakura, wait!" Syaoran felt a knot of dread in his stomach as he ran after her. He had tried to ignore it earlier, but now it had come back stronger than ever. He began to run faster afraid to let her out of his sight; he needed to protect her. Syaoran could sense something terrible was going to happen very soon, Sakura was in danger.

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Kero's fur stood straight up. Tomoyo looked down at him in confusion, "What is it?" 

His eyes narrowed, "A strong magical presence is near by."

Tomoyo quickly put her camera back to where ever the hell she pulled it out of. "Should we follow Sakura?" She looked back to where Sakura and Syaoran had been sitting, but they were now no where in sight. "…I guess that answers my question."

Kero began to glow as he quickly transformed into his true form. "Just follow me."

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Preview for Chapter Three:

Sakura's tone was firm, "I'm coming with you."

"You need to be safe."

"I will be safe with you Syaoran, I know you will protect me."

He stood there for a moment, then finally gave in. "Stay close."

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	4. Chapter Three

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Disclaimer: The only thing I do own is the idea for this story, which is not intended for profit.

****

Notes: Konnichiwa! ^.^ I usually don't split my fics into chapters, but decided to for this one for now. Though it may seem like it, I did not make up a new Clow Card or "bad guy" for this story. Fall Out of Darkness takes place around the beginning-middle of the third series when Eriol arrived. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, but it is hard since I have never actually watched the original anime, so please forgive any mistakes. It wasn't originally going to be S+S, but how could I resist? I will hopefully finish and put up the other parts soon, but I am busy with schoolwork, etc.

I'm not sure when I will be finished, but there is only a few parts left. The ending of this and preview are kind of big cliff-hangers, I'll try to hurry and write the next chapter.

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Fall Out of Darkness **– Chapter Three**

Panting, Sakura burst into the small clearing of the woods. It was very close. She looked around, squinting to see in the bad light of the evening dusk. Something rustled from behind the trees. Sakura felt her fear rise as her sense grew stronger. She jumped and gave a small shriek as a hand touched her shoulders.

"Calm down, it's me."

"Syaoran-kun, you scared me half to death! Thank goodness it's you."

She shivered as he remained silent, looking at her intensely like he had this morning at school. "I… I think it's coming from over there," she pointed to a spot in the woods.

He nodded and drew out his sword. "Sakura-chan… you stay here."

"Hoe? Why?"

"Just because."

She grabbed his arm as he began to walk away from her. "Why should I stay here?"

He looked a little frustrated, "Because I'm afraid something is going to happen to you!"

Sakura's tone was firm, "I'm coming with you anyway."

"You need to be safe."

"I will be safe with you Syaoran, I know you will protect me."

He stood there for a moment, then gave in. "Stay close."

Sakura didn't have time to reply, as suddenly a small tree attacked from behind her. Syaoran quickly jumped in front of her, receiving the harsh end of the impact. They both fell to the ground, his sword slipping from his grasp.

Other trees began to move with loud snapping sounds as they broke free of their roots. They surrounded Sakura and the injured Syaoran, looking tall and powerful. It was obvious that the trees were under someone's strong magic control, just like all the other inanimate things brought to life Sakura had been forced to fight before. She looked at Syaoran worriedly, "Are you alright?"

He winced as he tried to get up, "Don't worry about me, use the cards!"

Sakura looked at him and uncertainly got to her feet. "O Key which hides the powers of the stars, reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract. Release!" Her key transformed into her staff, she gripped it tightly and faced the advancing trees. 

She began to call forth the Firey Card when Syaoran stopped her. "No, wait, you don't want to set the whole forest on fire!"

Sakura stopped, "Then what should I do?"

A tree branch swung from her beside her and hit Sakura in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She stumbled, but stayed on her feet, doubled over in pain. Syaoran furiously pulled himself off of the ground and picked up his sword. "Sakura, use the Sword Card, we can team up."

Her breathing returned to normal, Sakura grabbed the card. "Ready when you are."

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"Where are they?!" Touya frantically went in a circle trying to find his sister.

Yukito tried to calm him, but suddenly cried out and clutched his head.

"Yuki, are you alright? Do you need to rest?"

He could not answer him as he was lifted into the air glowing. Touya watched in amazement and fear as large wings burst from Yukito's back, folding over to cover his body. In a matter of seconds, he had transformed into something that was no longer Yukito. A winged man with long flowing white hair and cold blue eyes appeared in front of him. "W-who are you?"

Yue looked at Touya with little interest. "That is of no importance to you."

"What do you want?"

He ignored the question and put a hand on Touya's face as if it were an embrace. His eyes and hand began to glow; Touya slumped to the ground unconscious before he could protest. Yue looked at him for a second then dismissed his second thoughts. Yukito's true identity could not be revealed to him yet.

Yue turned away and spread his wings. He must hurry; his mistress was in trouble.

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Kero emerged into the clearing with Tomoyo close behind. He saw Sakura and Syaoran fighting together against the possessed trees, but they were tiring and were vastly outnumbered. 

"Sakura!"

She looked up in relief at the sight of her two friends. "It's not working Kero, what should we do?"

Kero didn't have the answer to that; they didn't want to endanger the forest, park or people around it. "Pay attention!" he yelled as another branch took a swipe at her. Sakura jumped, barely dodging it in time.

"Oh Sakura-chan, Li-kun, be careful!" Tomoyo called, wishing there were some way she could help them.

Syaoran was hit again, unable to withstand any more; he collapsed to the ground. Sakura caught him in her arms, "You're hurt and I can't stop them without you," she whispered sadly.

He smiled weakly, "Yes you can Sakura-chan, just look inside for an answer, I know you can do it."

She closed her eyes, trying to think of a solution. A sudden idea came to her; "I've got it!" 

Sakura raised her staff, concentrating all her power to the card she held in her hand, The Erase. It flashed as she converted it to a Sakura Card. "Erase Card, I command thee to erase all the evil trees!" The card rose into its visible form and did as she asked.

Sakura smiled happily as the card returned to her hand. "It worked! Now I should use The Create to grow back all the trees that are now missing."

Tomoyo's smile suddenly turned to fear as she saw something behind Sakura. A tree still under magical power had managed to escape and was ready to attack her. "Sakura, watch out!"

Sakura turned in time to see a large branch swinging hard and fast in her direction. It struck the side of her head, throwing her off her feet and into the air. Everyone watched in horror, she was headed straight over the edge of a cliff; the same one Touya had broke his arm falling down many months ago.

"SAKURA!" Syaoran ran to her, pushing his body to the limit and biting his lip to keep from crying out or falling over in pain. His hand grasped hers; he desperately tried to hold on. Using all his strength he tried to pull her up, but a searing pain flashed through his arm. Unable to keep his hold, her fingers slipped through his own.

Sakura felt herself falling through the air. It was so hard to think, so hard to breathe. Her head pounded with hurt, her body felt limp. In the split second before she hit the ground, Sakura realised too late what the meaning of her dream had been. Everyone else wasn't going to disappear from her; it was her who was going to cease to exist. 

The last thing Sakura heard before she fell into the swirling darkness was voices that sounded so far away screaming her name. Then all she felt was an exploding pain in her head and body as she lost focus and everything became silent and black.

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Preview for Chapter Four: 

Tomoyo held Sakura's lifeless hand, not wanting to believe what she saw. She could barely hear the loud piercing machine as it continued to show a flat line. Doctors rushed in, a nurse gently pulled Tomoyo away who was too numb with shock to resist. She was brought outside into the waiting room where she collapsed onto Syaoran, tears streaming down her face. He hugged her fiercely, unable to stop his own tears from falling.

"Oh god."

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	5. Chapter Four

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Disclaimer: The only thing I do own is the idea for this story, which is not intended for profit.

****

Notes: Konnichiwa! ^.^ I usually don't split my fics into chapters, but decided to for this one for now. Though it may seem like it, I did not make up a new Clow Card or "bad guy" for this story. Fall Out of Darkness takes place around the beginning-middle of the third series when Eriol arrived. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, but it is hard since I have never actually watched the original anime, so please forgive any mistakes. It wasn't originally going to be S+S, but how could I resist? I will hopefully finish and put up the other parts soon, but I am busy with schoolwork, etc.

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Fall Out of Darkness**– Chapter Four**

Sakura was floating silently through nothing. She could see swirls of colours flashing by her, sometimes forming shapes of familiar objects. She had no idea of where she was, but that fact barely registered into her mind. All she could think of was how nothing hurt anymore. Her head no longer exploded with pain; her body was no longer exhausted and useless. Everything was eerily calm and peaceful in this place, Sakura almost felt like letting her body float away like this forever. 

She could faintly recall a place where she used to live. It had been a place with trees and animals, a place where there was life. Most important there had been people… people she had used to know. Blurry faces appeared in front of her – faces of friends and family – What had happened to them? Sakura felt a pang of loneliness; here everything was silent and dead. Where was she? 

Another face formed into shape; wild brown locks and warm amber eyes stared back at her. Syaoran. Images of what had happened danced around in her head, images of her slipping away from his grasp. Sakura could hear his anguished cry in her mind when she had fallen into the darkness she was now trapped in. A mix of emotions went through her. Syaoran… Tomoyo… Kero… Onii-chan… Oto-san… Yukito-san… everybody… she needed to fight to return to them. 

Sakura sadly extended her arm grasping at the thick black air. "Please… take me back home…" 

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"Let me inside!"

"I'm sorry sir, you'll have to stay in the waiting room until – "

"If Sakura is in there, I don't care what you say!" Furious, Syaoran pushed the doctor inside. The man was thrown off balance, surprised at the young boy's strength. Two nurses quickly restrained him, too emotional and tired to fight them off, he allowed them to bring him to a chair. 

Tomoyo sat beside him, her face very pale and worried. She hadn't moved or said a single thing since they had arrived here. Tears silently fell down her face as she clasped her hands tightly together. Syaoran realised he must look identical to her, his eyes wild, his face full of fear. He punched the table beside him in frustration, no one would tell them if Sakura was going to be all right. 

"Where is she?!" Touya burst into the hospital, Fujitaka following closely behind. He grabbed Syaoran's shirt, his eyes flashing with anger. "What did you do to her?"

His expression turned hard and emotionless, "I would never do anything to harm Sakura."

"Liar! I know this is your fault! If you hadn't dragged her to the park none of this would have happened!"

Syaoran recoiled, Touya's words stung hard as if he had been slapped across the face. Fujitaka quickly put a hand on his shoulder and attempted to calm his son down, Touya stepped back. "Look, I'm sorry kid, I just… I'm just so scared for Sakura's life."

Syaoran said nothing, unable to shake away what Touya had said. He had known that Sakura was in danger but he had allowed her to fight with him anyway. He had been the one who was unable to hold onto her, it really was all his fault."

Tomoyo seemed to read his mind; she reached up and took a hold of his hand. "It's okay Li-kun, you didn't do anything to cause this." He closed his eyes and gratefully squeezed back.

"Excuse me, are you Fujitaka Kinomoto?"

"Yes." He straightened, "Please doctor, is my daughter going to be okay?"

The man looked at him grimly, "Please follow me sir. The rest of you may come as well."

The four exchanged solemn looks and followed the doctor into a small room without a word. 

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Kero sat on the ground, his eyes red and full of worry. How he wished he could be inside the hospital, but it would be too suspicious. He was too upset to act like a stuffed animal, as was Tomoyo to cover for him. Kero strained to feel Sakura's aura, it was very weak but at least it was still there. 

He cursed to himself, why hadn't he done something to help her? Kero had sensed something was going to happen, why didn't he prevent it? Tears came to his eyes as he saw Sakura being thrown over the cliff again and again in his mind.

"Don't worry about her Cerberus, our mistress will be okay."

Kero looked up to his companion who had been mostly silent the whole time. Yue had been hiding his emotions, but Kero had known that he was also very concerned about Sakura's well being. He had caught quick glances of Yue's worried face when he had been careless enough to let it show through.

"I can only hope so…" He stopped for and watched him for a moment. "Yue, why don't you just go back to your false form so you can go inside the hospital?"

He turned to Kero, what seemed like a very brief smile came to his face. "If I were to leave, you would be left like this alone."

Kero gave a small grin as Yue turned his back to him once again. It did anger him when he was not as supportive of Sakura as he should be, but Yue sometimes showed glimpses of the kind heart he hid behind his cold expressions. Kero knew he also cared for Sakura, and did his best to protect her.

His stomach turned uneasily, Sakura's power had suddenly dropped. That could only mean one thing…

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Tomoyo could barely keep herself from crying out when she first saw Sakura lying on the hospital bed. She was deathly pale, making the large gashes and bruises stand out on her skin. Her head was covered in a large bandage; Tomoyo could see where the blood had leaked through the cloth. Sakura's chest moved in and out as if she was having trouble breathing. Fear came to her in waves; Sakura **was** having trouble breathing.

With a deep breath, Tomoyo moved towards the bed. She hesitated before touching her, afraid to hurt her in any way. She gently touched one of Sakura's hands, taking it in her own. An hour or so ago, Dr. Kalamajii had brought them into a private room to break the news. Sakura was alive but in very critical condition. She had received a harsh blow to the head, which had rendered her into a coma and caused a lot of blood loss. The doctors were unsure if they could save her, the possibility of her living wasn't very high.

Tomoyo bit her lip; she couldn't imagine life without Sakura. She was her best friend, such a pretty, kind, cheerful, and caring girl. She had always been brimming with energy, so full of life. As Tomoyo gazed at her now, she looked the complete opposite and it tore her heart apart. Sakura had so many opportunities ahead of her, so much more to live for. She just couldn't die now like this at such a young age.

Tomoyo was interrupted from her thoughts when a sudden noise emitted from the respirator Sakura was hooked up to. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised what was going on. Sakura was dying. Tomoyo held Sakura's lifeless hand, not wanting to believe what she saw. She could barely hear the loud piercing machine as it continued to show a flat line. 

Doctors quickly rushed in, a nurse gently pulled Tomoyo away who was too numb with shock to resist. She was brought outside into the waiting room where she collapsed onto Syaoran, tears streaming down her face. He hugged her fiercely, unable to stop his own tears from falling. "It'll be alright," Syaoran whispered, but his voice cracked and offered no comfort to either of them.

Tomoyo was still shaking badly, only two words were able to pass through her lips. "Oh god…"

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Syaoran had never felt like this before. The moment the machine had gone off saying Sakura had stopped breathing; his heart and mind had felt like it had been ripped into two. He had never felt such a strong emotion or pain before, it had been overwhelming. He had found himself crying as he used Tomoyo as a support almost as much as she had been using him. He could not remember crying like that since the day his father had died. So many things had gone on, everyone had been rushing by them without a mere word to assure them. Sakura's father and brother had joined them, also crying and scared.

Now he stood once again in the waiting room, unable to relax. Syaoran tried to prepare himself for the worst, but the thought of Sakura never waking up made him crumble. He had never realised just how important she was to him, and now he might never know if she felt the same way. Tomoyo had constantly urged him to tell her his feelings, but whenever he had found the nerve, something interrupted or he ended up running away. He wished he had said something, not for his own sake but for her to know what a wonderful person she was.

Dr. Kalamajii walked out of Sakura's room and over to where the four were waiting. They all got to their feet, looking at him with the same questions in their eyes.

"I'm very pleased to tell you all that Sakura is okay and is beginning to breathe normally now. We almost lost her in there, but our men pulled through and I think the chances of her waking up are a little bit better."

Fujitaka sighed heavily in relief. He shook the doctors hand and thanked him warmly. Everyone else did the same; it was the first good news they had heard all day. Maybe there was hope for Sakura after all…

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Sakura tried to scream as the blackness surrounded her. It seemed to grow darker and thicker, pulsating all around her. She kicked her legs trying to get free but it was much stronger. It began to cover her, each part of her body it touched instantly losing all feeling. Sakura desperately tried to escape, but soon found it was helpless. As it covered her head, stopping her airflow, she realised this had been the part of her dream that she had never finished. It was the part where the blackness took her life away.

A somewhat familiar bright light began to take shape as warmth and love began to pour from it. Sakura felt some strength return, the dark was losing its power, she was being given a chance to get away. Keeping her mind focused on her loved ones she wished to see again, Sakura managed to pull her body free. She knew she must hurry before it was too late. Using all of her remaining energy, Sakura clawed her way up towards the light, towards the opening that would bring her back to her own world. 

A faint smell of Nadeshiko flowers passed by her nostrils as she reached the light. A large shock seemed to go through her entire body as she felt like she was being lifted. Sakura tingled, she was almost there, and she was almost back. Before she could comprehend that it was not possible, Sakura began to fall upwards… she was falling out of darkness.

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Preview of Chapter Five:

"Oh Sakura, you're alive!" Tomoyo hugged the girl tightly, momentarily forgetting she might be accidentally hurting her.

Sakura's eyes widened with fear. She pulled away from Tomoyo's arms and backed away looking lost. Startled, Tomoyo reached out for her gently. "It's okay Sakura, the doctors think you're going to be just fine."

She backed into the wall looking confused and frightened. "Who are you? Stay away from me!"

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